The present invention relates to the control of mosquitos by application to breeding waters of film-forming materials and more particularly to providing a new control agent therefor.
An important development in mosquito control in preventing emergence of the adult from its aquatic breeding site is reported by Garrett in U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,033. The method reported involves the application of an approximately monomolecular film of a non-ionic, autophobic, organic material with a density less than that of water, a boiling point of 170.degree. C. or higher, a freezing point of less than 5.degree. C., and HLB number of 10 or less, a bulk viscosity of less than 1,000 centistokes at the temperature of use, a spreading velocity of 10 cm/sec. for the first 100 cm, and a lowering of the surface tension of the surface of the water to 30 dynes/cm or less. Those organic materials or control agents which fit the foregoing definition can be selected from sorbitan mono-oleate; saturated, branched chain alcohols with a carbon total of from 15 to 19 carbon atoms and 1 to 3 oxyethylene groups; unsaturated alcohols with 15-19 carbon atoms chain length; unsaturated ethers with a chain length of from 12-18 carbon atoms and 3-5 oxyethylene groups; and oleyl ether with two oxyethylene groups; and mixtures thereof.